The Galveston Daily News from Galveston, Texas • Page 23

Blizzard strands thousands of travelers Bv Saturday Homing, December 1912 Ofe By The Auoeiatod Pntt A Christmas Eve blizzard howled across Colorado and Wyoming, leaving behind up to 2 feet of snow and stranding thousands of holiday travelers, while flood- ravaged towns in the Midwest watched rivers rise and began evacuating low-lying areas. Two tornadoes skipped across eastern Oklahoma on Friday, injuring at least six people and causing extensive damage. Less lhan 24 hours earlier, more than dozen, tornadoes leveled homes and businesses ur.d injured more than three dozen people in Arkansas and The first big storm of the winter, which contributed to 14 deaths when it blasted the West Coast earlier this week, is "a real doozy." said Hyan Tilley of the National Weather Service in Kansas City. Mo. More lhan 40 inches of snow smothered parls of stone National Park.

Two feet of snow covered Casper. and Won- southwest of Bwlder. received a foot of snow in four hours overnight. Maintenance crews at Denver's Stapleton international Airport gave up trying to keep even one runway clear, and the airport, one of the 10 busies! in the nation, was closed. "We can't even see to get out the plow," said airport spokesman DaveScherer.

Thousands of travelers milled around the complex, waiting for the swirling whiteness to clear. In Atlantic City. 'M miners at a plant were stranded at work because of blowing snow. But spirits were high and food freezers full, a security guard reported. Few traffic accidents were reported, apparently because the holiday kept many people at home, but snow plows sent out to reach up to lij vehicles Many refuse to leave town hit by dioxin threat vThe Associated Press 1 1MLS BEACH.

Mo. AP River levels rose auam I-nday. but the Red Cross- ordered it-workers out of this flood-stricken sown because ot the threat posed by the toxic chemical dio.xi-i Many of the Guy or so remaining re-idem-; hov.ever. refused to leave despite the back-to- back disasters of the flood three coniirmation of the chemical contamination 'This is really cutting our throats said -Marshal Ralph Case when the Red ordered its workers to leave on the advice of the national (. enters for Disease Control in Atlanta will continue to assist people from outside the area, said Red Cross spokesman Frank Byrne.

"But we will stop our home visits u'Uil ve get a ruling on the situation We will not intentionally jeopardize anv of the personnel on our staff" Ed Daniel, director of the state Department Public Safety, said Friday that residents who wish to move would be given (emporarv hou-ing for up to a year. He saicf the stale was not recommending any major evacuation Hvorj 1 move nijt Dnji'i-! added wouldn't warn to subject myself a'nu my family to the potential dangers of the clioxir." "We recommend that people slay awav until we know more." he said. Daniel said the temporary housing would be funded beginning Monday by the Federal Kmergency Management" Agency. FKMA which is working out of a relief center in Feruon' considers the dioxin problem a "temporary that is connected with the re said The Salvation Army, meanwhile, said it would continue to bring food into Times Beach durins weekend. Kvd Cross workers had been visiting homes in this st Louis suburb to help residents ar.d to ckimatu-s from the flood" of the Meramec River.

Before the flood the town was home to 2Aw people But on Thursday the CDC 'issued a warni'ia based on preliminary Environmental Protection Agency test results that showed dioxin levels 01 up to UH.I parts per billion in the town. The CDC has tentatively ruled that levels exceeding par', per billion can be hazardous to human health' Although its impact on humar.s is in dispute, dioxin a byproduct herbicide one of the most toxic substances CDC says. Tests on laboratorv have hnked dioxin with cancer, birth defects and A waste hauler is known to have sprayed oil possibly contaminated with dioxin on the'town's roads to control dust in the early IHTMS. The KPA tests all done before the" flood werc concentrateti on the roadways, which since have- been paved. The CDC recommended residents leave Times Beach and that ail non-emeraer-cy cleanup efforts be halted to prevent "workers from coming into contact with dioxin.

is possible that much of the contaminated soil has been diluted or spread around bv the flood waters." the CDC said. "It is also possible that isolated, highly contaminated areas still exist or have been shifted to new areas." Undaunted, about of the remaining residents attended a town Christmas party Thursday night in a community center "recentfv reclaimed from the flood waters. Santa passed out donated gifts to children. Acting Mayor Sid Hammer said he believes the was washed downstream by the flood He said he isn't advL-mg anyone to "move, and hasn't been told of anyone 1C fl. Sout Angela's Fishermans Reef WILL BE CLOSED FRIDAY SATURDAY DtCIMKR 24th 25th FOR CHRISTMAS OPCN SUNDAY DCCCMBCR 26th trapped by snowdrifts on Interstate 15 in eastern Idaho.

The storm, packing winds up to 50 mph, had stretched into Nebraska by afternoon and was drifting slowly toward the Great Lakes. "H'e're looking at a very dynamic winter storm system with a lot of moisture in the atmosphere for it to work with." said Tilley. "There's likely to be much more precipitation." "If people get stranded, it's a life-threatening storm." said Jim SchulU of the Weather Service office Denver. In the. lower Midwest, flash I loud watches were posted for pans of Illinois.

Missouri. Arkansas. Texas and Kentucky. Rivers and creeks in southeastern Missouri, inundated ihree weeks ago by record floods, engorged by up to 3 inches of rain and began creeping over their banks. People living of Marble- Hill'.

Mo. ere evacuated "We're no! taking any chances this time." sand Marble (Jill Fire Hollinger. -'The creeks are bank-tuli It's jus! a repeat of three v.eeks agu." i-m out sandbagging again Vs a i a r. cay-!) Uiristmas effort." said a volunteer unsv. eririi: the phones ihe County sheriff's office.

She refused give :r.e Water reponed lee: ceep in sorrie rcsider.ts NO NtEDUS HO PAIN New Reflections 744-0085 had been cleaning up from the last flooding. About 100 people were taken to a relief shelter in the Masonic Temple, officials said. In Salem, 111., where the normally placid Town Creek was swollen by four inches of rain, city officials began preparing evacuation shelters for residents of a mobile home park threatened by floodwaters. Tornadoes and high winds ripped through southern Tulsa. Ketchum and Wright City, on Friday, damaging more than 50 nomes, officials said The winds caused at least in damage to Wright City, and a couple and their 1-year-old son were hospitalized.

ctf n't O'f Left to right, sealed, Valerie Riedel, Carol Sendejas. llene Clark. Standing Josephine Pamplin, Kay Noto. Sam Noto, Kim Noto, Mary Habib. 'J7 tf if? fl iff ye wish to express our sincere appreciation for the privilege of serving you.

Sff value Lotli your friendship anJ your patronage and can tiling of no more appropriate time than now to tell you so. May llit coming year bring the very Lest of Health ami Happiness to you and your family. WORLD WIDE TRAVEL 2902 53rd STREET 744-O436 Portrait A Weekly Look at Galveston County SUIT Ptwio By Bill Barry Curtis Lankford Jr. think Galveston is a fine place to live and I believe I plan on staving Now that I am here, I'm glad I came. I have made a lot of friends" Curtis Lankford tt, and his wife live on 20th Street He is a maintenance man for Rosenberg Library.

Ho was horn in Richlands, and attend high school there. Serving 10 years the U.S. Army, Lankford put in two years in Viet Nam. two in Germany and then traveled to Seattle Fort Hood and Fort ,1. 6 a SO rkcd a Vir inia coal mine.

He and his wife attend the Presbyterian Church. Lankford's hobbies include fishing, working on cars, hunting camping and boating. enjoyed my time in the service. It's hard on some families with all the traveling around, but it's wonderful for a single man. I think everv young man should take at least one tour of duty it would do them at lot 25 From The National Weather Service forecast for today calls for rain in Washington and along the Canadian border from Wisconsin to Maine.

Snow is expected for the northern Plains states while showers are forecast for the Great Lakes south to Tennessee. Sun, Moon and Tides Saturday, Dec. 25 Sunrise 7:11 a.m. Sunset 5:28 p.m. Moonrise 1:48 p.m.

Moonset 1:51 a.m. High tides 1:13 p.m. (0.9) and 11:27 p.m. (0.9). Low tides 6:13 a.m.

(0.0) (0.6). Climate Data Friday, Dec. 24 High 72. Low 66. Record high 75 (1933).

Record low 30 (1953). Rainfall in 24-hour period ending at 4 p.m. none. Rainfall since first of year 29.78 inches (11.63 inches below normal). Marine Forecast PORT ARTHUR PORT O'CONNOR Northeasterly winds 10 to 15 knots today and tonight.

Seas 4 to 6 feet. Partly cloudy with widely scattered thundershowers PORT O'CONNOR BROWNSVILLE Southeast winds near 15 knots today and east to northeast near 15 knots tonight. Seas 5 to 7 feet. Widely scattered thundershowers today and tonight. Travelers try to pass the time at Denver airport DENVER Thousand? of stranded hnijrjav travelers shopped, dozed, read newspapers'or found sanctuary bars as a blinding Christmas Eve blizzard halted flights at Stapleton International the world seventh-busiest airport.

News that powerful winds and a foot of snow had prompted the first shutdown of the airport since 1954 at first sent travelers scrambling for new flight oooKings. Soon, however, ticket counters closed too and customers looked for ways to pass the time "I'm staying here." said Steve Grindinger of South Park. who had been headed for Dallas to staying with relatives. "I kind of feel that if it's this bad. I rather sit in here than worry if the pilot is going to get it off ihe runway." Bridgette Dartez of Golden, who had planned to fly to New Orleans, said she would wait out the at the airport.

She said she had no monev for a bus home "and it would get stuck anyway." Many lingered over drinks in dinily lit bars. Santa Uaus put in an appearance at The Timber-line bar ana received a rousing ovation. Some travelers seitled in for card playing in coffee shops. Newsoaper staiuis did a brisk trade. There even were patrons at the ice cream parlor Uiiu man munched on an ice cream cone as he gazed out the window at the snow swirling around the grounded airliners.

An airport spokesman. Bob Coate.s. said the airport would be closed "unii! further notice." He said -he earliest it could reopen would be 6 a.m. day. All airlines canceled flights into Officials for the major airlines said they rebookmg passengers on the first available flight-- for Christmas Day.

normally a light travel day. Grounded travelers lined up at pay telephones as relatives and friends were contacted about (lie unexpected change in plans. A large number of military personnel on hoiitiav icave were caught Stapletnri bv the seemed determined not to return to Navy seaman recruit Bill return to base if he wanted. Just out CM boot camp in Sur. Diego.

Kingeisen was headed home to Pittsburgh 'o- the holidays when he lost his plane ticket in Denver' By the time that probierr. was solved, the had set in and his flight was canceled. "I guess I'll just har.g around." he said, a lor the video game arcade. Harry Howies of Link-ton had a weekend in tiu-1 casinos planned and had awakened a traffic to the airport. in a.m he r.u:-s',!-,s: a beer at an airport ba: "This a In-'' he sairi 1 "''lY' 1 i Si.

'hide '1'ii lust stay here dr.nk a l1 1 --aiv 1 o'a car. get IOD ntT like Mother, quints OK 'he ii-, Mar.s -At Iv.rth frorr. "iv.i"i"i> to.